After heavy speculation of a move over the summer transfer window didn't eventuate, the rumors of a prospective Manchester switch were beginning to arise once more for Baines, with both ESPN and The Daily Mail speaking of a possible move by the Red Devils for Baines.

But speaking out after his side's 1-1 draw against Manchester City on the weekend, the England international has told reporters that there is nothing to the rumors of a departure from Merseyside, and that he is proud and ambitious for the club he is currently playing football for.

I'm not that into Twitter but I would say not to be worried. There have been a few windows and a few rumours and there's nothing to worry about.

There are a lot of lads here who have been at the club for a long time now and we want to bring it not just for ourselves and our own ambitions but for the other people at the club, the manager, the chairman, the fans.

It would be a massive achievement for us if we could get those European nights back at Goodison. Although there's a lot of hard work and a lot of other clubs scrapping for that fourth spot, we'd like to think that if we can get our form back on track we could be one of them.

The Toffees currently sit in sixth position on the league ladder, but are just one win away from third-placed Chelsea, having lost just one of their past 12 matches.

Much of that has been on the back of strong defensive and offensive performances from Baines, who has the club's second-highest average match rating, and creates a remarkable 3.5 goal-scoring opportunities per match (per WhoScored).

Having made the move to Merseyside from Wigan Athletic in 2007, Baines has won 13 England international caps and has become one of the Toffes' most important players, with much of their attacking taking place down the left-hand side of the field due to his involvement.

And the prospect of leading this team towards Champions League football is clearly something that Baines, and all of the Everton players, are passionate for.

The club hasn't played Champions League football since they took on Villarreal in 2005, where they were eliminated 4-2 on aggregate score.

But with a strong squad like they have this year and one of the most potent and direct attacking units in the league, this could well be the year that the Toffees finally earn that elusive top four spot that David Moyes so desperately desires.

And if that happens, then a Baines transfer away from Goodison Park seems even more unlikely than it already is.